The Hawks win a wild Game 3: They’re the better team, folks
That's how it's spelled: H-A-W-K-S. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
It’s not easy being an Atlanta Hawk. The whole wide world expects you to fail. Because you lost a playoff series by 101 points last spring. Because you spent much of this regular season getting blown out at home. Because your ownership promoted an assistant coach who was supposed to make you better and instead saw you slide from 53 wins to 44 with the same personnel.
But then the new season began, the one that matters, and you went to Orlando and took Game 1. Heck, you almost took Game 2. And what did the Magic’s Ryan Anderson tell reporters after those two games?
Why, this: “Atlanta’s a team that if things aren’t really going their way, they’re going to struggle a little bit. We’re different in a sense where if we’re down, we kind of know how to fight our way back into it.”
You’re an Atlanta Hawk, and you essentially got called heartless by Ryan Anderson. (Ryan Anderson, for Pete’s sake.) But it’s not just one Orlando sub who has come to doubt you. It’s pretty much the whole wide world. Because the Hawks’ way for a quarter-century has been to get people excited only to do something goofy. Like watch Cliff Levingston take the biggest shot in franchise history — Game 6 against Boston, 1988 — and miss the rim. Like trade for J.R. Rider. Like draft Marvin Williams. Like draft Shelden Williams.
But here’s the thing: To be an Atlanta Hawk now is to sit in a strangely sweet seat, after an 88-84 victory Friday night. Nobody expects you to win, and yet you’re gifted enough to beat anybody. Indeed, Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy was asked before Game 3 on Friday about his announcer brother Jeff’s stated opinion that the Hawks are more talented than the Magic. “That’s of no consequence,” Stan Van Gundy said.
It isn’t, but it is. This is basketball. Talent does matter. At issue in this series is whether the better team can keep its head and hold its nerve. Because if that team does, the Hawks will be playing in Round 2.
Three games have been played in this series — a total of 144 minutes. The Hawks have won at least 100 of those minutes. They lead 2-1 on merit.
Loading ...They made Game 3 much harder than it needed to be, wasting a 14-point lead and falling behind with 11 minutes to play. They wobbled, but they didn’t fall. Jamal Crawford conjured up a four-point play to put the Hawks back in front. Al Horford, who had done little, drove the baseline for a reverse and then made a jumper. Zaza Pachulia drew a charge from Dwight Howard, then took a key offensive rebound.
Said Crawford, who would make a bigger shot: “We showed we could handle adversity tonight. We showed resolve.”
Ahead by eight, the Hawks again let the Magic clamber back. Pachulia fouled Howard, and then he got himself ejected for squaring off with Jason Richardson. Howard had two free throws to tie with 2:22 remaining. He missed one. The Hawks still led, if just.
Then Joe Johnson missed. Jameer Nelson stole an offensive rebound and hit to put the Magic ahead by a point. Johnson drove and got fouled, making both. Hawks again by one, now 1:22 left.
Hedo Turkoglu drove and fed Brandon Bass. Crawford drove and fed Horford. Hawks back ahead, 42 seconds to go.
Said Horford: “I struggled with my shooting tonight, but Jamal had confidence in me.”
Turkoglu hoisted a 3-pointer from the dead corner trey over Horford and missed. Said Van Gundy: “Horrible shot.”
Crawford dribbled the clock down and, with 5.7 seconds remaining, banked home the clinching trey over the itsy-bitsy Nelson. Said Josh Smith: “Unbelievable shot.”
The team that couldn’t stay on the floor with the Magic 12 months ago had again taken a series lead. If you’re an Atlanta Hawk, you’re starting to make people wonder if they’d pegged you wrong. Said Crawford: “Thank God we won. That was probably the most important game of the series. The pressure’s on them now.”
Or is it? If you’re an Atlanta Hawk, the hard part comes now. You have to finish what you’ve started, lest your reputation as talented-but-heartless be cast in bronze for perpetuity.
And you’re capable. Orlando has been chasing you for 2 1/2 games now, and only in Game 2 did it catch you. You’ve outscored the Magic by 24 points from the floor in the series. You’ve held a double-digit lead in each game. You’re the better team. You need to take the wind from this pulsating victory and ride it into Game 4 on Easter Sunday. You need to ride it all the way into Round 2.
By Mark Bradley
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140 comments Add your comment
K.W.
April 23rd, 2011
2:36 am
Best game I’ve been to. The crowd was hype. Let’s get it on Sunday Hawks!
Kelvin Frazier
April 23rd, 2011
6:13 am
You are right Mark, the Hawks are the better team, but that doesn’t mean they will win the series. These are the Hawks we are talking about after all. A lot of the analysts on ESPN of predicting this series is going seven games, it shouldn’t. If it weren’t for some questionable coaching decisions in Game 2 the Hawks could be up 3 – 0. Sunday’s Game 4 is the pivotal game for the Hawks, win that game and the series is all but over. A side note, I know the Hawks have been stuck with some bad contracts over the years, but how would you like to be stuck with the Gilbert Arenas contract. He is owed $62M over the next three years. He didn’t even play in Game 3, coach’s decision.
GT
April 23rd, 2011
8:10 am
This is not the same Orlando team they played last year. They have been beating them all year not the case last year. “talented-but-heartless” is not necessarily the case, talented but dumb is closer to it but you can’t write that as a home paper or really say it as a national reporter. The shot that won the game last night was a prayer, it banked in if my eyes served me right. They were doing the standing around on offense like a pre game shoot around. Maybe they are heartless it takes guts to drive to that basket, the kind of guts Wilkins or Jordon had as much of as they had talent, but it took brains to mess with the defender too. When you spot up three feet outside a three point line you are a long way from the fight, and you are about as clever as a 12 year old, who is doing every thing Orlando has asked of him. Who knew God even liked teams like this more less answered their prayers.
MDG
April 23rd, 2011
8:11 am
The biggest difference between the teams this year is no Vince Carter. He always lights Atlanta up! They can let Dwight do his thing, which is unstoppable, and lock down the perimeter like they have been doing. Hawks in 6.
Greg
April 23rd, 2011
8:13 am
Throwing in a lucky 3 pointer off the glass doesn’t equate to mental toughness. Over and over again in this game and most others of any consequence, the Hawks play one on one basketball. They fail to execute even the most basic principles of team ball. But all is forgotten for one night because of the shot that fell. As bad as the Hawks played in the 2nd half, a team with more than one player would have beaten them by 20+. Thank the Magic for last night. The Hawks certainly didn’t do much to earn it.
Gamer
April 23rd, 2011
8:16 am
GLAD FOR THE WIN…BUT A LUCKY SHOT BY JAMAL!!!!! AND I DON’T BELIEVE IN LUCK!!!! SOMEONE TOLD ME THAT LUCK IS THE DOG THAT JUMPED OUT IN FRONT OF A MOVING VEHICLE LOSING TWO LEGS, ONE EYE, AND SEVERAL TOOTHS; SUFFERING A FRACTURED SKULL AND A BROKEN TAIL-BONE BUT WAS LUCKY TO BE ALIVE!!!!!
JAMAL CRAWFORD GOING ONE ON ONE AT 3′POINT!!! EXCUSE ME WAH!!! HE’S ABOUT THREE FEET BEHIND THE ARC?
NOT GOOD COACHING OR JUST A BONEHEAD PLAY THAT GOT LUCKY? PROBABLY BOTH!!!
LD’S COACHING IS REGRESSING IN POSTSEASON. HE’S NOT COACHING SET PLAYS AT CRITICAL JUNCTURES IN GAMES…HE’S NOT COACHING DISCIPLINES WITH PLAYERS LIKE JOSH SMITH!!!
HOW MANY TRIPS DOWN THE FLOOR DID WE WITNESS JOSH SMITH LAUNCHING JUMPSHOTS OR TRYING TO MAKE ENTRY PASSES TO POST-UP PLAYER? HE WASN’T DOING A GOOD JOB ON NEITHER ONE!!!
COME ON LARRY DREW, YOU GOT A RED-HOT HORFORD AND A DOUBLE-TEAM THREAT IN JOE JOHNSON, BOTH PLAYERS HAPPENS TO BE LEGITIMATE ALL-STARS… BUT YOU RUN YOUR OFFENSE THROUGH JOSH SMITH AT CRITICAL JUNCTURES IN A POSTSEASON GAME!!! TERRIBLE COACHING!!!!
EITHER JOSH SMITH ISN’T LISTENING TO LD OR LD ISN’T COACHING EFFECTIVELY…TERRIBLE PLAY SELECTIONS…NO BRAINS OR SMART PLAY IN CRUNCH TIME….
THE BALL SHOULD BE IN JOE JOHNSON’S HAND AT CRUNCH TIME, DRIVING THE BALL FOR FLOATER OR TEARDROP SHOT OR MID-RANGE JUMPER OR FORCING DEFENSE INTO DOUBLE TEAMING HIM, MAKING QUICK PASSES TO WEAKSIDE SLASHERS(josh smith or horford) GOING TO BASKET!!!
NOT HAVING JOSH SMITH CONSTANTLY STANDING AROUND PERIMETER FOR JUMPSHOTS~~~THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT OPPOSING TEAMS WANT THE HAWKS TO DO!!!!
THE HAWKS GOT LUCKY BUT REMEMBER WHAT HAPPEN TO THE DOG CALLED LUCKY….
BY THE WAY, WHERE IS JEFF TEAGUE??? YOU CAN’T DEVELOP A TALENT ON THE BENCH!!!
Hollywould
April 23rd, 2011
8:38 am
Good to get the win but as Jon Barry was saying all nite “If you are going to have a guy take the long jump shots why not a jump shooter?: Time and time again Smith is taking (not 3 pointers) but 23 ft 2 pointers. Does anyone know another player on any team who slows down the offense like Joe Johnson? dribbles for 15 seconds the throws it out where somebody has to take a terrible shot. I have never seen anything like it. Congrats to the Hawks for being able to overcome iso Joe.
UGASlobberknocker
April 23rd, 2011
8:39 am
Has anyone noticed how large Zaza’s head is? In his faceoff against Garnett a couple of yrs ago, Garnett’s head looked like a grapefruit next to Zaza…Last night, he was passing out head butts..those had to hurt. I love it..nobody is pushing him around.
UGASlobberknocker
April 23rd, 2011
8:40 am
@Gamer
WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING?
W Reid Whitaker
April 23rd, 2011
8:40 am
Let’s see ….How many points do you get for a headbut ????
xemployee
April 23rd, 2011
8:49 am
am so used to hawks losing when they blow any lead, it was a pleasant surprise friday night
jgsbrids
April 23rd, 2011
9:21 am
great job hawks! love him or hate him–josh smith that is–the hawks need him! worry about next year, next year! he has worked on his jumper and it is much improved but he has to learn when to take them. if i were the coach–he would have to attempt atleast five post ups to every jumper.
let’s go hawks–get game four and get a couple of chances to wrap this up in five or six.
Gamer
April 23rd, 2011
9:33 am
USUALLLY I DON’T REPLY TO WHINERS!!! BUT THIS ONE TIME EXCEPTION FOR YOU, UGASLOBBERKNOCKER!!
I’M NOT SHOUTING JUST WRITING IN UPPER-CASE LETTERS WITH EXCLAMATIONS TO GET POINT ACROSS TO PEOPLE OF INTEREST?
DON’T BE A SENSITIVE BLOGGER, UGASLOBBERKNOCKER!!!
THIS IS NBA SPORT AT ITS BEST(POSTSEASON)…ONLY THE STRONG AND INTELLIGENT BLOGGERS SHOULD BE HERE….
CALM YOURSELF, DON’T BE A SENSITIVE BLANK.
Hard to Believe
April 23rd, 2011
9:35 am
What amazes me is that there was alot of talk about trading Crawford during the season. Getting Crawford was one of the few really great moves by the Hawks in the last few years.
Mitch
April 23rd, 2011
9:42 am
Josh Smith sucks………Period !
BJ
April 23rd, 2011
9:47 am
Jamal Crawford needs to be a starter
Grammar Patrol
April 23rd, 2011
9:53 am
Well Gamer, based on your strong and intelligent critique of the Hawks, I feel it’s my duty to point out:
USUALLLY SHOULD BE SPELLED USUALLY!
YOUR SECOND SENTENCE SHOULD END WITH A PERIOD OR EXCLAMATION POINT INSTEAD OF A QUESTION MARK!
IF YOU TRULY FEEL YOUR BLOG IS THAT INTELLIGENT, IS IT REALLY NECESSARY TO WRITE IN LARGE CAPS TO MAKE YOUR POINT?
honest_abe
April 23rd, 2011
10:01 am
the people that defend josh smith just don’t see the same guy as me. josh is awful only because he could be so much better. (does that even make sense?) he settles for jump shots when he should be driving it to the basket… he leads the break when he should be filling the lane.. (i.e. the 3 point play courtesy of j.smith) he’s always looking to make the flashy play when boring but right play would be sufficient. turnovers, careless possessions, stupid shots are reasons teams lose games. the hawks won despite of josh smith last night.
Beast from the East
April 23rd, 2011
10:05 am
Great game last night. Solid effort by all and I love the way Zaza never backs down! I picked the Magic in five……boy was I wrong. Keep it rolling, Hawks!
JeJe
April 23rd, 2011
10:12 am
My bad MB, called you MC earlier
Do you think Z is suspended? His “headbutt” was hardly anything. He did the same thing vs. KG 3 years ago. Also, J-Rich instigated it and shouldn’t Dwight be suspended a game for throwing that elbow?
just wondering
April 23rd, 2011
10:13 am
@gamer
Myself and the people I know don not read ANYTHING written by ANYONE in all caps! It’s not an attention getter other than this is something to skip!
NorCalHawk
April 23rd, 2011
10:34 am
I give team a lot of credit for getting it together in the 4th quarter; they looked awful in the 3rd, had no answer when Magic doubled-teamed the point. Jon Barry’s comment about Josh camping at the 3-point line was right on. Why doesn’t he position himself for offensive boards, with JJ or Heinrich out high?
GT
April 23rd, 2011
10:37 am
It takes guts to drive to the basket. Wilkins or Jordan had as much guts as talent.
Dap01
April 23rd, 2011
10:48 am
Crawford hit the game winning shot for us. He is a fearless shooter but he did bank a 3 point shot from the top of the key. Luck was what went through my mind, not clutch.
A better shot would have been him driving to the basket instead of dribbling out the clock 30 feet from the basket.
Scott
April 23rd, 2011
11:05 am
Howard is a dirty player and a whiner. He throws elbows and flings his arms all the time after a play. look at the cuts on zaza’s arm. and that hood rat who jumped into zaza should be out the next game. holando is going down.
Marvin Willliams fan
April 23rd, 2011
11:08 am
@Mark
Marvin will be a 20ppg scorer in the NBA..once he leaves ATL…
HG
April 23rd, 2011
11:08 am
If josh smith keeps throwing up 3’s and marvin keeps playing, they won’t win.
Wink
April 23rd, 2011
11:30 am
Good game Hawks and I am eating crow now. Like Jamal with the ball in his hand, has the ability to break down his defender, get his shot or drop a dime, without the stagnant iso. When he breaks out his MJ (Michael Jackson dance routine)the defender is in trouble.
Resign Jamal at all cost. Trade Josh & Marvin for JaVale McGee & Blatch & JC2…make it happen in off season ASG.
Boo Josh Smith
April 23rd, 2011
11:32 am
It’s sad to have to boo your own player in the middle of a competitive playoff series, but Josh is such a waste of talent. He had a terrible game and still posted a decent stat line. NO reason he shouldn’t be a 20/10/5/3/3 guy… I hate watching him walk 0.5 mph, crossing his legs slowly over each other on defense after HE misses a shot…. Take a little pride in what you do Josh Smith…
clay
April 23rd, 2011
11:36 am
to be honest i really dont care what goes on. I dont care how they get the W just as long as they do.
H
April 23rd, 2011
11:37 am
Post was deleted..for saying what?? Josh Smith is useless and needs to go?? His utter lack of hussle is unreal. Play no defense, stand around the 3 point line and jog back and forth on the court. Trade him in the offseason. If you don’t like it, too bad. Oh wait, I’m not from the south so I need to be nice about it. No thanks. Work hard, fight and win. you don’t do that…goodbye. Sorry Josh Smith is a waste of talent.
Hawks Fan From Day One
April 23rd, 2011
12:13 pm
@H, shut up. Really.
@Wink: I agree we should be trying to see about getting JC2 back, but they aren’t giving up McGee. Blatche, maybe.
@Dap01: I have to disagree with you. The play that Jamal ran was the best play FOR THE TIME ON THE CLOCK AND THE SCORE ON THE BOARD. Reason being, he drives to the basket and a) turns the ball over, Magic keeps it in play and scores on a fast break. They take the lead or, b) Jamal drives to the basket, gets fouled and doesn’t get the call, Magic takes the ball back up the court and scores. They go up. If anything, he could have dribbled the clock out and got inside the 3 pt. line for an easier shot, but I’m not complaining today.
Ted Mp
April 23rd, 2011
12:20 pm
It was a fun game to watch but the Hawks didn’t play that well. I wonder if Josh Smith will watch video from that game because he played like crap (I don’t think he will).
Before the series started I thought Nate McLouth had a better chance at winning the NL batting title then the Hawks had of winning this series but as it turns out Orlando sucks. So the Hawks will win this series and revert to their norm and cave against the Bulls.
Time
April 23rd, 2011
12:51 pm
Josh Smith does need to quit taking as many outside jumpers as he does. But on the flip side, people need to lay off of him for taking some of them. First, he has actually developed the jumper to where he makes a decent amount of them. Second, most of the time, he’s taking jumpers when he gets the ball wide open somewhere with the rest of the team standing around. What in the hell is he supposed to do all you Smoove hating geniuses out there? You’re the same lot that hated Nique for taking crazy shots but never acknowledged that most of that was due to the same thing. HIm getting the ball with the shot clock running out and everyone standing around.
Of course, you same people who hate Josh just unconditionally love Al. Who spends all his time on the perimeter. And he’s the CENTER.
moboman
April 23rd, 2011
1:44 pm
No need to hate on Josh. He does hit jumpers on some nights, and we gotta realize that Orlando was daring him to shoot. It wasnt his quarter to shine, and perhaps he should have taken some of those jumpers to the rim and drawn fouls. Credit LD for pulling him, not for punishment, but because it wasnt his moment. He had already done major damage to Orlando in the 3rd period inside the lane. LD juggled his chess pieces in response to what Orlando was giving on defense. It worked. Josh will have more moments in this series as well. Thats what playoff basketball is about, adjusments, and going with what works at the moment against that opponent. Zaza and Twin are KEY in this series, even though their roles were diminished and sometimes non existent during the regular season. Let the chess game continue. We can win this series. If we make it to the next one, a completely different mix may be uitilized.
papadawg
April 23rd, 2011
1:52 pm
Mr. Howard would you like to come home and play with the Hawks
Gamer
April 23rd, 2011
2:26 pm
IT’S GREAT TO BE AN AMERICAN…LIVING IN AMERICA WHERE FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN ANY FORM IS ONE’S INEVITABLE RIGHT!!!!
ALL YOU CRITICS AND SENSITIVE BLOGGERS HAVE MY BEST WISHES….
TO ALL FUTURE CRITICS OF MY STYLE OF SPEECH,,,SINCERELY I APOLOGY FOR STEPPING ON YOUR SENSITIVITIES….
OH BY THE WAY, OCCASIONALLY I MAKE TYPO’S.
Philip Ponder
April 23rd, 2011
2:42 pm
Braves, Falcons, Hawks: Who has had the most consecutive winning seasons? Who has gone further in the playoffs the last few years? The Hawks and the Hawks… but despite this, they consistently get much more negative press than the Braves and Falcons… I still haven’t figured out why.
Philip Ponder
April 23rd, 2011
2:45 pm
Braves, Falcons, Hawks: Which team has the most consecutive winning seasons? Which team has gone deeper in the playoffs the last few years? The Hawks and the Hawks… but despite this, they consistently get much more negative press than the Braves or Falcons… and I still haven’t figured out why.
Gamer
April 23rd, 2011
2:50 pm
CORRECTION,,SINCERELY I APOLOGIZE FOR STEPPING ON YOUR SENSITIVITIES….
SEE, I TOLD YOU THAT I MAKE TYPOS…HA-HA
KEEP SMILING AND LAUGHING IN LIFE BECAUSE YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE OPPRESSORS IN YOUR SURROUNDINGS…LOVE LIFE ENOUGH TO HAVE FUN….EVEN IN THE FACE OF CRITICISM…PEACE